Weapons

written by Mats Persson

The general pattern

Used from 1895 to 1958 circa.

CALIBRE TERM YEAR

e.g.
6,5mm Gevär m/96 (6.5 millimetre rifle model 96)

The Army used a diminutive m for modell, followed by a slash and the last two digits in the year of adoption.
Like most other countrys Sweden uses the comma as decimal marker.
e.g.
6,5mm Karbin m/94 (6.5 millimetre carbine model 94)
10,5cm Kanon m/34 (10.5 centimetre gun model 34)

The Navy used a capital M for modell.
e.g.
6,5mm Karbin M/94
10,5cm Kanon M/34
Generally speaking there were no differences between Army and Navy models.

Weapons used for trials were called fm for försöksmodell (experimental model)
e.g.
6,5mm Gevär fm/23

Sometimes the suffix mt for med tillbehör (with accessories)
e.g.
6,5mm Gevär m/96 mt is a m/96 rifle with sling, cleaning brush and oil can

From 1958 the m was lost.
e.g.
6,5mm Kulspruta 58 the FN MAG58 GPMG that was adopted in 1958
7,62mm Prickskyttegevär 90 the AI AW snipers rifle, adopted in 1990

Calibres smaller than 6cm in millimetres,
calibres equal to or larger than 6cm in centimetres.

Before 1870 or so the calibre of a gun was measured in pounds.
e.g.
24£ Granatkanon modell 1852

In the late 1800s and early 1900s the calibre of a gun was measured in whole centimetres.
e.g.
8cm Kanon m/81 had a calibre of 8,4 centimetres,
6cm Kanon m/89 had a calibre of 57 millimetres.

Modifications or alternations are often denoted by a trailing capital letter.
e.g.
6,5mm Automatgevär m/42B is a modification of the Ag m/42 (Ljungman AG42).
e.g.
9mm Kulsprutepistol m/45B is an alternation of the Swedish K SMG.
 

Modifications were normally carried out on all weapons in inventory, so once the modification of the Ag m/42 was effectuated there were only Ag m/42B left.
Alternations, of course, only concerned newly made weapons, so there could be two or more alternations of a weapon in service at the same time. To describe two or more alternations you put the letter, or letters, of the alternation inside a parenthesis.
e.g.
9mm Kulsprutepistol m/45 (B) means Kpist m/45 and Kpist m/45B.

At major modifications the year of the modification was sometimes added to the year of adoption.
e.g.
20mm Automatkanon m/40-70 was adopted in 1940 and modified in 1970.

Some of these denotations are not official, but invented by collectors.
e.g.
6,5mm Karbin m/94-14 is the unofficial denotation for an m/94 carbine with bayonet mount to accept the m/14 bayonet.
6,5mm Gevär m/96-38 is the unofficial denotation for a m/96 rifle rebuilt to a m/38 rifle.

Some guns intended for other countrys but confiscated by the Swedish government in the beginning of WW2 got the first letter in the name of that country as a suffix.
A for Argentina, H for Holland, P for Poland, S for Siam
e.g.
40mm Luftvärnsautomatomatkanon m/36 A
40mm Luftvärnsautomatomatkanon m/36 H
40mm Luftvärnsautomatomatkanon m/36 P

Some exceptions

The Browning MMG 6,5 mm kulspruta m/14-29 is not a modification of the 6,5 mm kulspruta m/14 (designed by Schwarzlose). The reason why the m/14-29 got the year 1914 in its denotation is that it inherited the water-jacket as well as the tripod from the m/14 MMG.

For some strange reasons the H&K G3 was designated 7,62mm Automatkarbin 4
and the FN FNC was designated 5,56mm Automatkarbin 5

Beginning in the late 1950s some weapons got four-digit numbers. e.g.
9 cm Pansarvärnspjäs 1110 the 9 cm recoil-less AT-gun introduced in 1958
10,5cm Haubits 4140 a Bofors 10.5cm howitzer
12cm Luftvärnsautomatkanon 4501 a Bofors 12 cm AAA-gun
These four-digit numbers originates from a military equipment designation system, intoduced at the same period of time, and has nothing to do with the year of the model (the m-slash).

Unfortunately the Coast Artillery have lately started using a new pattern - even retroactively.

TERM CALIBRE/YEAR

e.g.
Kustartilleripjäs 7,5/57 is a turret mounted 7.5cm coast defence gun adopted in 1957 and originally denoted 7,5 cm Kustartilleripjäs m/57 .
Kustartilleripjäs 12/70 is a turret mounted 12cm coast defence gun adopted in 1970 and then named 12 cm Kustartilleripjäs m/70 (nickname: Ersta).

Vehicles

Armoured vehicles

Old pattern

 

TERM YEAR

e.g.
Stridsvagn m/39 is a light tank adopted in 1939

Some tanks made by more than one manufacturer got a suffix to tell them apart
e.g.
Stridsvagn m/40 L was made by Landsverk
Stridsvagn m/40 K was made by KMV

Some tanks made in different configurations got a suffix to tell them apart
e.g.
Stridsvagn m/42 EH had a single engine and a hydraulic gearbox
Stridsvagn m/42 TH had two engines and a hydraulic gearbox
Stridsvagn m/42 TM had two engines and a electro-mechanical gearbox

New pattern

 

TERM NUMBER

e.g.
Stridsvagn 103 (the S-tank)

On tanks the first part of the number is the calibre of the main armament.
e.g.
Stridsvagn 81 was the first tank with a 8cm gun (Centurion MkIII)
Stridsvagn 101 was the first tank with a 10.5cm gun (Centurion MkX), when Stridsvagn 81 was up gunned with the same 10.5cm gun it was renamed Stridsvagn 102. Hence the S-Tank became Stridsvagn 103. Note that there are also Infanterikanonvagn 102 (the second Infantry escort gun with a 10.5cm gun) and Infanterikanonvagn 103 , entirely different vehicles but also armed with 10.5cm guns.

When some tanks became obsolete as tanks they were still used as Infantry escort guns. They then got a new name.
e.g.
Stridsvagn m/42 EH was renamed Infanterikanonvagn 73 , because it then became the third Infantry escort gun armed with a 7.5cm gun.

Trucks

Old pattern

 

TERM YEAR

e.g.
Lastbil m/42, a Volvo truck adopted in 1942.

New pattern

TERM NUMBER

Three or four digit numbers where;
the first digit indicates the type of vehicle (9 is a jeep or a cross-country truck)
for trucks the second digit is the approximate maximum load in tons
the third digit is the numbering of this vehicle
the fourth optional digit denotes the version of this vehicle
e.g.
Lastterrängbil 939 was the 9th cross-country truck in the 3 ton range (Volvo Viking)
Personlastterrängbil 903 was the 3:rd jeep (Volvo L3314)
Pansarvärnsterrängbil 9031 was a 903 with a 9cm RCL AT-gun
Pansarvärnsrobotterrängbil 9032 was a 903 armed with the Bofors ATGM "Bantam"

Latest pattern

TERM NUMBER

Two digit numbers
e.g.
Terrängbil 11 is a jeep (Volvo 4x4 C303)
Terrängbil 40 is a cross-country truck (Scania 6x6 SBAT 111)

Aircrafts

TYPE NUMBER NAME

e.g.
J35 Draken

When an aircraft is used for more then one role the types are put together, with the most significant role in front.
e.g.
JA37 Viggen is an intercepter with attack capability.
which is not the same as AJ37 Viggen an attack aircraft with the capability to intercept.
The air frame is called Flygplan 37 (Fpl 37).

Types:

J	Jakt	intercepter
A	Attack	attack
S	Spaning	photo reconnaissance
Sh	Spaning, hav	maritime surveillance
B	Bomb	bomber
T	Torped	torpedo-bomber
Sk	Skol	trainer
Tp	Transport	cargo
Hkp	Helikopter	helicopter

Terms

 

Swedish	English
Allmålskanon, Allmkan	Multi-purpose gun
Artillerikanonvagn	Self-propelled gun
Automatpjäs, Apj	Automatic piece of ordnance
Automatkanon, Akan	Automatic cannon
Automatkarbin, Ak	Assault rifle
Automatgevär, Ag	Semi-automatic rifle
Bandkanon, Bkan	Self-propelled gun
Bandvagn, Bv	Tracked cross country vehicle
Berghaubits	Mountain howitzer
Dubbelautomatpjäs, Dbalpj	Automatic piece of ordnance in twin mounting
Dubbelpjäs, Dblpj	Artillery piece in twin mounting
Enkelpjäs, Epj	Artillery piece in singel mounting
Fästningshubits, Fsthaub	Fortress howitzer
Gevär, G	Rifle
Granatkastare, Grk	Mortar
Granatgevär, Grg	Recoil-less rifle
Haubits, Haub	Howitzer
Infanterikanon, Ik	Infantry support gun, Anti-tank gun (older)
Infanterikanonvagn, Ikv	Infantry escort gun / Light tank
Kanon, Kan	Gun/Cannon
Kaponjärkanon, Kapkan	Emplacement gun
Karbin, K	Carbine
Kulspruta, Ksp	Machine-gun
Kulsprutegevär, Kg	Light machine-gun
Kulsprutepistol, Kpist	Sub-machine-gun
Kustartillerikanon, Kakan	Coast-defence gun
Kustartilleripjäs, Kapj	Coast-defence gun
Lastbil, Lb	Truck
Lastterrängbil, Ltgb	Cross country truck
Luftvärnsautomatkanon, Lvakan	Automatic anti-aircraft gun
Luftkanon, Lk	Anti-aircraft gun (older)
Luftvärnskanon, Lvkan	Anti-aircraft gun
Luftvärnsrobot, Lvrb	Anti-aircraft guided missile
Pansarbandvagn, Pbv	Armored personnel carrier
Pansarbil, Pb	Armoured car
Pansarskott, Pskott	Light anti-tank weapon
Pansarvärnskanon, Pvkan	Anti-tank gun
Pansarvärnskanonvagn, Pvkv	Tank destroyer
Pansarvärnspjäs, Pvpj	Anti-tank gun
Pansarvärnsrobot, Pvrb	Anti-tank guided missile
Personbil, Pb	Automobile
Personterrängbil, Ptgb	Jeep
Pistol, P	Pistol
Positionshaubits, Poshaub	Siege howitzer
Prickskyttegevär, Psg	Snipers rifle
Revolver, Rev	Revolver
Robot, Rb	Guided missile
Snabbskjutande kanon, Ss.K.	Rapid-fire gun (older)
Stormkanonvagn, Sav	Infantry escort gun
Stridsfordon, Strf	Infantry fighting vehicle
Stridsvagn, Strv	Main battle tank
Terrängbil, Tgb	Wheeled cross country vehicle
Torndubbelautomatpjäs, Tdblapjäs	Automatic guns in two gun turret
Torndubbelpjäs, Tdblpj	Guns in two gun turret
Tornpjäs, Tpj	Turret mounted gun
Undervattensbåtskanon, Ubk	Submarine gun

Bofors

Bofors, as a company, never used the "m/"-type denotations, as the year of adoption of one army was irrelevant to other costumers.
Instead they used the following pattern:

CALIBRE  BARREL-LENGTH  PROJECTILE-WEIGHT / MUZZLE-VELOCITY

e.g.
75 mm L/52   6,3/840
Which happens to be an AA-gun of 75mm calibre, with a 52 calibre long barrel, that fires a 6.3kg projectile with a muzzle velocity of 840m/s.
10,5 cm L/22   14/475
Is the 105mm field howitzer with a 22 calibre long tube, firing a 14kg shell at 475m/s.